1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a loudspeaker cabinet, more particularly, the invention relates to a speaker cabinet useful for professional audio equipment that allows for disassembly, servicing and reconfiguration of the speaker as well as ease of mounting.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Traditional speaker cabinets are generally constructed from six panels (two side panels, a top and a bottom panel, and a front grill and rear panel), such as wooden panels, connected together to form a structural box within which the speaker components are located. In these traditional designs, disassembly for repair, replacement or reconfiguration of the speaker components is cumbersome, if possible at all. Indeed, damage or destruction of the panels is often the case when speaker disassembly is attempted.
Moreover, in traditional speaker cabinet designs, mounting of the speaker cabinet, such as in an overhead mounting arrangement often found in professional environments, such as arenas, nightclubs, etc., can be difficult and unwieldy and require mounting hardware to be provided on or in the wooden sides.
There is a need in the art for an improved speaker housing construction which would provide for ready interchangeability of parts, ease of access for assembly and replacement or reconfiguration of internal components, and which facilitates mounting in a variety of orientations. Although there are many examples of prior art loudspeaker enclosures, none provide the sought after advantages. For instance, Gaus, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,168, discloses a loudspeaker enclosure comprising layers of metal and plastic to provide density, high modulus of elasticity, and a high damping factor. However, the Gaus configuration does not provide for ease of disassembly for reconfiguration or repair and replacement of components, nor does Gaus provide a ready and convenient mounting method. Meyer, Jr. describes another type of speaker enclosure in U.S. Pat. No. 5,218,176 which, according to the inventor, provides unique acoustical and structural properties and which consists of a porous inner core of rigid urethane foam bonded to fiberglass rovings by means of polyester resin and resin tie blocks. Clearly therefore, the Meyer, Jr. construction does not facilitate ease of disassembly or reconfiguration.
Lin, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,962, Stark in U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,728, and Kang in U.S. Pat. No. 5,627,350 all claim speaker housings assembled in different manners. None of the disclosed housings, however, provide the modular assembly, ease of disassembly, reconfiguration or replacement of components, and mounting capabilities desired in the art.
Thus, there is a continuing need in the art for improved loudspeaker housings which would provide ease of interchangeability of parts for repair or reconfiguration, as well as stable and reliable mounting systems.